Senior Contract Manager

At Cognizant, we are dedicated to helping the world's leading companies build stronger businesses - helping them go from doing digital to being digital.

In Poland, our offices are located in Gdansk, Wroclaw, and Kraków. With the capacity to support various clients, we offer a world of opportunities for both professionals and graduates. You can expect five-star training, a chance to realize your career goals, and a range of benefits. Be Cognizant!

In this client-facing role, we are looking for an experienced Senior Contract Manager to serve as the point of contact for specified key client/s in respect of all contract related matters, and to provide ad hoc contract management support to other accounts and on CLRM program initiatives. The role may also include being responsible for supervising a small team of contract managers.

Reporting into the global Contract Lifecycle Risk Management (CLRM) function, you will leverage your extensive contracting experience gained in respect of complex IT services contracts to promote and help apply contract commercial management best practices in a pragmatic way to all aspects of Cognizant’s relationship with the client, from proposal stage, through SOW negotiation, service delivery & completion.

• Proactively contribute commercial and contract thought leadership to support the engagement / CLRM leadership in their strategic planning and engagement with the client and on CLRM initiatives,
• Point of contact for the engagement team and client/s on all contractual matters, including contract performance/ compliance, SOWs, MSA Amendments, contractual queries, commercial issues and escalations and lead coordinating inputs from internal stakeholders and client closure,
• Chair and/or facilitate contract related governance meetings with the client’s business stakeholders and sourcing / procurement team and oversee creation of contractual reporting to the client,
• Commercial shaping, drafting and negotiating of various forms of complex contractual documents, coordinating with relevant SMEs as appropriate and undertaking necessary escalations. Work with SMEs to prepare pragmatic responses/ mark ups to client drafts, collaborate with leadership in setting negotiation strategy and lead the negotiation team to execute on the strategy,
• Lead and act as a subject matter expert, thought leader and trusted advisor on matters related to the application of the contracting provisions, policy, and in defining and implementing end-to-end contracting governance processes and procedures, collaborating cross functionally,
• Raise contract awareness and commercial acumen within the sales/ delivery team, including creation of guidance, templates and other materials on contract commercial mgmt best practices.

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree (Post Grad in Business, Commerce, Management, Law or Finance is an advantage),
• Minimum 12+ years of experience in the IT Services Industry (Infrastructure, Applications, and BPO),
• Strong negotiation and relationship management skills, and commercial awarenessl,
• Some travel may be required,
• Deep practical experience of contract management in the IT and/or business services market with a detailed understanding of key legal/ commercial principles and obligations found in complex managed services, transformation and professional services contracts,
• Proven ability to build strategic relationships internally /with client whilst working virtually,
• Nuanced and sophisticated client-facing skills, including ability to identify and negotiate a fair deal and manage difficult/ tense situations,
• Strong analytical skills, with demonstrable fluency in deal economics, leveraging commercial levers. Familiarity with P&L management/ reporting would be an advantage,
• Technologically minded, with experience in using and implementing contract management platforms, and in development of contracting processes/procedures and driving change,
• Experience in providing guidance and leadership to others, and navigating [virtually] in a large, complex, multi-location & time-zone, matrix management-based organization.

• Opportunity to be part of a global organization focused on development,
• Open-minded and multinational environment,
• Training & development opportunities including language courses,
• Professional development and clear career path,
• Extensive benefits package: Multisport Card, Lux Med medical healthcare including dental care, life insurance, cafeteria benefits.